sinungaling
sinungalíng with stress marks
liar; to lie
Usage Note
Sinungaling is one of the most commonly used words for dishonesty in Tagalog, labeling a person who lies as a noun or adjective and describing the act of lying as a verb. The word appears frequently in children's stories and moral lessons, where honesty is a core value taught early in Filipino upbringing.
Examples
" Sinungaling ang bata. "
Natural Translation
The child is a liar.
Literal Translation
Liar the child.
" Ayaw ko sa isang sinungaling. "
Natural Translation
I don't like a liar.
Literal Translation
Don't like I to a liar.
" Kapag minsan kang mahuling sinungaling, mahihirapan ka nang muling mabawi ang tiwala ng iyong mga kaibigan. "
Natural Translation
Once you're caught lying even one time, it will be hard for you to win back your friends' trust.
Literal Translation
When once you get-caught liar, will-have-difficulty you again to-regain the trust of your friends.
Take Tagalog with you
The full course, a 12,500-word dictionary, and flashcards that make every word stick — free to start on iOS and Android.
Tagalog builds thousands of words from a few hundred roots.
How Tagalog words workDerived Words
Actor Focus Verbs
Object Focus Verbs
Related Words
Explore Tagalog by topic
Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.
Languages of the Philippines: Tagalog, Cebuano, and More
Languages of the Philippines: one national language (Filipino) plus 180+ regional languages. Here's who speaks what, where, and why it matters to you.
Tagalog Affixes Explained: A Beginner's Guide to Word Building
Tagalog affixes turn one root word into dozens of meanings. Learn prefixes, infixes, suffixes, and circumfixes with clear examples for beginners.
How to Say Sorry in Tagalog: Patawad vs Pasensya
How to say sorry in Tagalog: patawad, pasensya na, and paumanhin compared on a simple severity-and-formality ladder so you pick the right word every time.
Tagalog Pronouns Explained: Complete Chart with Examples
Every Tagalog pronoun explained with clear charts: ang/ng/sa forms, tayo vs kami, ikaw vs ka, politeness markers, and the mistakes beginners make.